I had the privilege to serve on the Chesterfield Board of Education in Chesterfield, N.J., with Craig Thier from 2007-12. When I first started to consider running for a seat on the board of education, I attended several board meetings and had the opportunity to observe Thier’s leadership in the role of board president. I found him to be both financially and governance savvy. He had operational expertise that balanced the needs of the school and its community to deliver measurable results.
When I was elected to the board in 2007, I gravitated toward Thier’s ability to coach and mentor me to succeed him as the next board president. Together, we shaped a clear vision for the school district by building community support through an open and transparent process. It was Thier’s strategic thought leadership and powerful communication skills along with his proven ability to align differing viewpoints that subsequently rallied our town to support a referendum to build a new K-6 school to support the growing community.
I admired Thier’s financial acumen when it came to matters of annual school budgets, teacher contract negotiations and successfully overseeing a major construction project that came in under budget so we could provide tax relief back to the community that supported the project.
Thier was not only a board member but also was a role model for fostering frank discussions of tough issues, and valuing and building organizational competency, consensus and community reach. It’s my experience working with Thier that he would be a great Rehoboth Beach commissioner and would serve energetically to think boldly, enhance and evolve the community’s visibility, and deliver on community solutions.
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